US Navy planning global show of force against China

US Navy planning global show of force against China

The United States Navy is reported to be planning a global show of force to show China that the US is ready to engage it militarily.

The classified plan being drawn up by the US Navy's Pacific Fleet recommends the US Navy to carry out a series of operations across the world during a week in November, the CNN reported Thursday citing several unnamed military officials.

Aimed at warning the adversaries about America’s ability to take on adversaries on several fronts, the “highly focused and concentrated” drills would involve warships, combat aircraft and troops, the officials said.

The plan specifically suggests sending ships and aircraft near China's territorial waters in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, as part of Washington insists are “freedom of navigation operations” to protect movement in the sea.

This means that the US military would get close to Chinese military forces operating both in the sea, running the chance of close encounters.

While the American officials emphasized that Washington had no plans to engage the Chinese forces, it is unlikely that China would ignore such operations.

This became evident last week, when the USS Decatur guided-missile destroyer attempted to sail close to a Chinese-claimed island in the sea only to be countered by the Chinese destroyer, the Lanzhou.